Monday, December 31, 2012

Chillum was one of the bands featured on the now famous Mushroom label, which has become one of the most collectable independent labels from the early seventies. The label's small release schedule, the originality of its artists and the diversity of their music, almost guarantee that vinyl collectors prize ownership of an original Mushroom issue for musical content and rarity alike.

The label was founded by Vic Keary, who recorded most of its releases at London's Chalk Farm studios, where he worked as an engineer. It was Vic's vitality and enthusiasm that ensured bands like Chillum were released. The Chillum album (this is supposed to be the 3rd Secondhand album) has a tale or two behind its release. Secondhand had parted company with their guitarist and were involved in a seemingly fruitless search for a replacement.

One prospective axeman was Tony McGill; his audition, held at the Chalk Farm studios, was fortunately recorded and it was during this session that he and the band formed such an instant rapport that Vic, taping everything as usual, just allowed the tape to run. Now we have a chance to hear the raw, unedited result of this first meeting with Tony as "Brain Strain ".

After a break, another jam session took place - "Yes We Have No Pajamas ". The laughter that can be heard at the beginning of Chillum's "Land Of A Thousand Dreams " is attributable to a couple of young doctors from the nearby Royal Free Hospital, who wandered into the studios because they could hear the band from the Belmont Pub next door (now called The Engine Room), where they often went for a drink.

This epic session extended into early morning hours, when drummer Kieran fell asleep after recording his drum solo. Vic recalls with obvious relish that breathing or snoring mightily, with headphones still clamped to his ears, Kieran's somnolent efforts were recorded and then played back to him, so he was able to double track for about three minutes in perfect sync while still asleep, thus providing the ending "percussion" track for "Land Of A Thousand Dreams ".

The grunt at the very end represents engineer Vic's none too delicate wake up boot. Its this raw, as it happened, unrehearsed craziness that shines through the playing. Chillum's music has much of the originality and inventiveness these musicians brought to their releases, with unfamiliar time sequences and rhythm patterns on some of the tracks.

The lengthy workouts and the live, unrestrained format allowed them free reign to experiment with the unusual in the informal atmosphere these sessions generated. The acoustic track "Promenade Des Anglais " was Tony's interpretation of a song Ken had written about a street in the south of France, where the band often played on tours. The bonus tracks "Fairy Tale" and "Celebration" were recordings made after the band returned from a further European tour; these were never released, as this line up split up shortly afterwards. "This Is Not Romance" was a recording made by Ken with just a Steinway grand piano, just before the main album was recorded.

This song was never used on any other album. "Incubator" was a track created by engineer Mike Craig, using a Leslie-type speaker and on audio oscillator. The sleeve credits on the album deserve some explanation. The band and Vic decided to use pseudonyms, because a couple of their overseas distributors suggested they release a session featuring some famous London musicians, even if they played under assumed names.

So, for the record, Ken became Elliot Ness, Kieran was Max Fish, George changed to Sticky Schmaltz and Tony, for no apparent reason, evolved into Buddy Cuddy. Engineers Vic and Mike Craig were not spared this evolutionary process and duly became Blind Joe Smith and Herr Von Tskutting. The distributor's reaction is unfortunately unknown. Chillum's album sleeve was produced "cottage style", after the first attempt was banned by Music Week.

Taking the Beatles White Album as their influence, the band hand printed, painted and stickered each plain sleeve, using car aerosol spray, an old printing set and some rubber stamps. By mid 1972, the Mushroom label ceased to record and release albums. This was a tough time for Vic and his circle of close musician friends. It was with great sadness that he admitted defeat, forced to stop releasing a series of highly original albums that so closely reflected his love of music. But the musical force that was Ken Elliot drove Chillum & Secondhand onward.

Lacking a label did nothing to stop the creative process and shortly after the final demise of Mushroom, Seventh Wave were born from the remains of the previous bands. They released two albums "Things To Come" and “PSI-FI"on the Gull label in 1974 and 1975.

So declares Nancy Jeffries, shareholder of the Insect Trust, which congealed in Memphis circa 1966 and melted away in Hoboken by 1971. Strictly speaking, "everybody" was a quintet. Jersey-born Jeffries was the singer, sucked into the Memphis scene after her first band secured a residency in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and abandoned their trek to San Francisco. There she met reed player/rock critic Robert Palmer and fell for Skip James rediscoverer and guitar acolyte Bill Barth. Soon Barth and Jeffries visited New York and wound up renting a place in the same cheap old Hoboken building occupied by Luke Faust, who joined them on banjo, fiddle, and harmonica after they all shared a brief fling with Peter Stampfel's Holy Modal Rounders. Back in came Palmer, who had moved north after college and was writing for a radio-financed freebie masterminded by the guy who later gave the world Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. New Orleans-born saxophonist Trevor Koehler hooked up via a crazed Memphis beatnik they knew.

The quintet included at least two superb musicians: Barth, ranked by James biographer Stephen Calt with the devil man himself, and Gil Evans regular Koehler. But it did not include a rhythm section. This made it hard for them to play out, as did their tendency to traipse off to Tennessee. But it also threw them in with some unlikely sidemen. Drummer Buddy Saltzman, superbassist Chuck Rainey and rhythm guitarist Hugh McCracken, the hired hands on Capitol's 1968 The Insect Trust, were renowned studio cats who also backed, for instance, the Archies--which is less surprising when you learn that manager Steve Dubow came aboard straight from the Cowsills.

In 1998 interviews posted by the Perfect Sound Forever netzine, Barth--amid claims that he was "never really a big Insect Trust fan" and that the project must have been a failure because its sole purpose was "making plenty of money"--hits paydirt: "I consciously tried to keep the musical ideas separate and distinct. Fusion music was beginning to happen in those days, and I personally regarded it as mush." Note that Barth assumes leadership of this band he didn't like, the one Jeffries just called "everybody's." Note that Jeffries has also recalled, "Bill was the leader because he was the biggest asshole." Compare Faust's analysis: "The band was a democracy--Bill was the leader but he was laid back." Then return to Barth's point.

The Insect Trust did not make fusion music. They encompassed blues and old-timey and what was called folk-rock and plenty of jazz and, quiet as it's kept, bubblegum, too. But except for the bubblegum, submerged in the unobtrusive competence that underpins The Insect Trust and the quickened tune sense that sparks Hoboken Saturday Night, the ingredients didn't fuse into mush. They coexisted, strikingly in many of the best cases but always easily and naturally. This was pluralistic tolerance in action, at once traditionalist, futuristic and entranced with the here-and-now.

It was something else too--bohemian. Why else begin with a 35-second opening snatch composed by blind Manhattan street musician Louis "Moondog" Hardin, for decades a fixture in his Viking or Native American leathers at Sixth Avenue and 54th Street? "Be a hobo and go with me/From Hoboken to the sea," quaver Faust and Barth over Palmer's recorder obligato and somebody's bongos. Then Jeffries belts, drawls, swallows and surrounds the title credo about having fun because there's nothing better to do. The groove is solid if not quite in the pocket, with mild mayhem all around including more recorder.

By the time her three minutes are up, Jeffreys is talking gibberish or speaking in tongues, only to right herself on the lovely lope of "Eyes of a New York Woman"--Bushnell-sounding bass line that never stumbles, harmonizing horns, wearily wistful recorder solo, literary lyric lifted from Thomas Pynchon's V. As a traveling man promises escape on the Barth-Jeffries "Ragtime Millionaire," the horns say hello New Orleans-style, with Palmer picking up his clarinet and Folwell and/or kibitzing beatnik buddy Warren Gardner tootling trumpet.

But the horns don't fully assert themselves till Koehler's "Somedays." An infectious Diddleybeat drives a garbled lyric that kind of begins "I can't ask why who knows when/Because it is and then again" and may or may not wonder whether "we're crazy." But it's the unison reeds that define the track's freneticism. Which--more yin and yang--is immediately corrected by William and Arloha Folwell's pastoral love song "Our Sister the Sun," where Jones's bish-bashing waltz time and bassist Folwell's spirit quest gently tether a clarinet-dominated outro that carries the tune past seven minutes on an album where only one other track exceeds 3:23. In 1970, that seemed a suitable farewell to side one, but on CD it leads to another gear switch: Faust's "Reciprocity," the catchiest, liveliest, silliest and nicest song on the record: "Woke up with this tune in my head/It said, 'You're dead.'" Faust disagrees, with horns and a second-line march to back him up.

The middle of the second side is where vinyl albums used to let up, and there is one dip, Jeffries' breathy rendition of a pretty Koehler tune that doesn't justify the grand title "Reincarnations." But before then, she has her proudest moment, the preemptively feminist/womanist "Trip on Me," where she unlooses her assertive voice, a loud mix of booze, smoke, brass and Middle Eastern scales, on lines like "Understand you're just another man/Everything you touch you don't have to own." "I've done all I can, I'm only human, I'm me," she abruptly concludes--only then once again there's a switch.

Sprightly banjo-and-recorder that recalls Othar Turner's panpipe blues leads into Jeffries's sweet voice, the murmured lyric something about a train that ends with a reassuring, "Hold me tight, Daddy, everything is OK/I'll stay"--which segues immediately on the same track, into a Faust folk song about the assassination of James Garfield. Then the dip, and then, incredibly, the peak: a fully orchestrated version of a ditty about a play date involving spaceships written and initially sung by Koehler's six-ish son Glade. Banjo, hand drums, grownup duet, crazy unison horn section and Elvin Jones all work and play well with others to climax this joyously eccentric and intensely humanistic album. Yes, the literal ending is nearly six minutes of Koehler and Gardner's wonderful instrumental-plus-scat "Ducks." But it's a coda--a prequel to a sequel, a glimpse of a next that never came.

Anyone who wonders what the hippie '60s were like--or could be like, with the arrant nonsense and obsessive back-biting avoided or suppressed--can find out from this true collective. Not the Beatles or the Stones--they were different, bigger and often better, mass culture. Hoboken Saturday Night--like Have Moicy!, the later and smaller and more pastoral and perfect album Peter Stampfel helped actualize, and maybe the Dead's Aoxomoxoa or even Dylan's Basement Tapes--is subcultural. All involve folkies untouched by self-righteous sentimentality.

Three of the Insect Trust are not gone. Koehler--responsible for Moondog and Jones and "Glade Song," all decisive touches--committed suicide in 1976, a genius misfit to his unnecessary end. Palmer died of liver failure in 1997, a former New York Times staffer who left behind two important books (Deep Blues and Rock & Roll: An Unruly History) and much uncollected journalism and scholarship. Barth was painting in Amsterdam when a heart attack got him in 2000.

Faust still lives in Hoboken, where he co-directs the Monroe Street Movement Space and teaches tai chi. "Surprised that in later life I was able to function," Jeffries became an a&r luminary, signing the likes of Suzanne Vega and Ziggy Marley before she lost her Elektra vice-presidency in 2000. Understandably, she's feeling disaffected. She thinks bands aren't in it for the music anymore. She's wrong--there are many more such now than in the '60s. But if any of them have a Hoboken Saturday Night in them, I wish they'd tell me about it.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Back in the '60s, most white blues fans trying to play the music took the approach of struggling to sound as serious and authentic as possible, and a big part of the charm of the Insect Trust's debut album is that, by accident or design, they went in an entirely different direction.

While the Insect Trust were clearly and affectionately influenced by classic blues and folk, they were also eager to mess around with it, and Robert Palmer and Trevor Koehler's horns and woodwinds often throw this music into a loopy, atonal, and acid-infused direction while the loose, slightly rickety sound of Bill Barth and Luke Faust's guitars and banjos honors the styles found on vintage 78s just as their rock-oriented chops keep the results from sounding as if they spent much time actually learning the original riffs.

Given the loose but insistent backporch funk of this music -- perhaps held in place by guest musicians Bernard Purdie, Hugh McCracken, and Chuck Rainey -- the sweet tone of Nancy Jeffries' vocals seems a bit out of place, but she never seems less than committed, and she gives "World War I Song" and "Declaration of Independence" a full-bodied reading that fits their meaning, if they don't sound especially "bluesy."

And the final two cuts, "Mountain Song" and "Going Home," take off into a never-never land of pastoral avant-garde whimsy that exists in a world all its own. the Insect Trust refined their worldview on their second, last, and finest album, 1970's Hoboken Saturday Night, but their debut has more than its fair share of lovely moments and is an engaging example of roots music fans letting their freak flag fly with righteous joy.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Enclosed was the title of Magic's debut album released in 1969, and this Gear Fab reissue by the same name includes the entirety of that debut, but also adds a 1968 single from the original lineup and songs from the 1971 sessions on Motown imprint Rare Earth that culminated in their second self-titled album, so it really can be considered the definitive document of the band.

On the original single, the band leaned toward rock & roll that was very much informed by black music -- one side was a cover of the Otis Redding classic "That's How Strong My Love Is," the other a Duane King original that Sam & Dave could have easily torn into; in fact, Magic, and particularly its most talented songwriter, King, displayed an almost magic knack for penning songs that sound like lost Southern soul classics.

King's lead vocals could be strikingly bluesy, and the band cooks throughout the album, moving from the loping country-rock & soul of the opening track "Keep on Movin' On" to the electric blues of "Who Am I to Say?" to the sunny country-rock of "California" to the Stax-styled ballad, "You Must Believe She's Gone." Stax is, in fact, a good reference point for the entire debut album.

The rhythm section consistently locks into a transcendent groove, and Joey Murcia's fabulous guitar work is slightly busier than Steve Cropper's but approaches the work of that legend, with a proper grit to it that is never wasted. It is surprising that Magic never quite found a wider audience.

The final track from the first album, "Sound of the Tears Is Silent," sounds as if it could have come from the pen of Smokey Robinson, and it leads perfectly into the band's subsequent stint on Motown's Rare Earth label.

Most of the songs from that period that show up on the Gear Fab reissue, however, seem to veer closer to streamlinened, hard blues-rocking territory (with a couple of country-ish cuts) and are, as a result, not quite as appealing as the previous soulful material. Still, the early Magic songs alone make this a welcome reissue, especially for lovers of Stax and Southern soul music.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Green Bullfrog - Do the names Speedy, Sleepy, Bevy, Sorry, Boots, Pinta,
The Boss, The Vicar and Jordan mean anything to you? The Green Bullfrog sessions
were originally released with many of the artists cloaked behind pseudonyms and
consequently it sold 428 copies upon its original March 1971 Decca release.

Green Bullfrog was an album resulting from a one-off studio project and
recorded between February and May 1970. The album was the idea of producer
Derek Lawrence who assembled a group of musicians with whom he had worked in
the 1960s. For contractual reasons, the musicians were billed under
pseudonyms:Earl Jordan (a.k.a. 'Jordan'), Ritchie Blackmore ('Boots'), Albert
Lee ('Pinta'), Big Jim Sullivan ('Boss'), Rod Alexander ('Vicar'), Chas Hodges
('Sleepy'), Tony Ashton ('Bevy'), Matthew Fisher ('Sorry') and Ian Paice
('Speedy'). Obviously the record is a highly sought after rarity.

How's about Ian Paice and Ritchie Blackmore ( Deep Purple, but you knew
that ), Tony Ashton ( Ashton, Gardner and Dyke), Chas Hodges and Albert Lee (
Heads, Hands and Feet), Big Jim Sullivan (Tom Jones), Matt Fisher ( Procol
Harum), Rod Alexander (JoDo) and Earl Jordan ( Les Humphries Singers)? Thought
so - well, for some of them, anyway! This was a fantastic "once-off"
blues/rock project put together by Derek Lawrence, who produced Deep Purple's
first two albums and who was also working with Wishbone Ash at the time.

Legal constraints prohibited the various musicians from using their real
names. The album was first released in 1971 in the US on Decca Records and
later on in the UK on MCA Records in 1972. If you have a copy of the original
MCA album, frame it and look after it - it's very sought after. It was released
on CD,including this stunning cover of the Elias McDaniels classic,( rivaled
only by Juicy Lucy's and Tucky Buzzard's versions! ) CD reissue, remixed at
Abbey Road studios in London during 1991, re-produced by original producer
Derek Lawrence. Originally engineered by Martin Birch; remastered by Peter
Vince. A Connoisseur Collection 1991 re-release of the GREEN BULLFROG tapes,
re-titled 'The Green Bullfrog sessions', added a further three previously
unreleased tracks 'Ain't Nobody Home', 'Louisiana Man' and 'Who Do You Love'
were included. Some of the original tracks were also extended and the running
order was altered. If you like blues or rock music or are a fan of Blackmore,
Deep Purple, Jim Sullivan or Albert Lee you really cannot afford not to hear
this album.

The album itself was recorded live on a four track at Kingsway Recorders
during two long sessions on April 20th and May 23rd 1970. One session not
starting until the early hours of the morning as Blackmore and Paice had been
doing a Purple gig earlier. The strings and horns were added on 4th January
1971 with Del Newman. Tracks wise it's a mix of old standards, a Derek Lawrence
penned slow blues and the classic million miles an hour (uncredited due to
contractual reasons) Blackmore instrumental 'Bullfrog'. Now, to me this is
rock'n'roll of great people, listen with due attention, especially track
"My Baby Left Me",where there is a duel between guitar-raising Lee
& Blackmore, and see if I'm not right!

"Green Bullfrog" opens with the rock and roll stomp of 'My
Baby Left Me' and from the very outset the energy and quality is top notch. Its
not just the guitars of Blackmore, Lee and Sullivan that hog the limelight
either as although this is certainly a 'guitar' album the ivory tinklers get
their moments in the sun, as does the bass of Chas Hodges. Ian Paice of course
holds the thing together and drives it all along in the way only he can.
Vocalist Earl Jordan is no passenger either as he delivers some energetic raspy
blues soaked vocals simply dripping in soul and feeling. Why the bloke isn't
thought of more highly is beyond me. 'Makin Time' is a great blues rock stomper
with a great riff whilst 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy' features some great rock and roll
piano to compliment the guitar.

The instrumental 'Bullfrog' is for many the highlight of the album as
Blackmore, Sullivan and Lee trade solos like gunslingers. This could be the
fastest Blackmore has ever played. No lover of the guitar should miss out on
hearing it as it is a truly wonderful peice of music. It has been featured on
numerous Blackmore anthologies and retrospectives so shouldn't be difficult to
track down even if the original album is nigh on impossible to find. Apparently
Blackmore just started playing it when Lawrence suggested they needed an
instrumental and Sullivan came in underneath and Lee on top in perfect harmony.
It is almost like they are racing or duelling at times. With the swirling organ
and driving rhythm of the drums you could certainly imagine it as a Purple
track. It certainly deserves its place up there as one of the top Blackmore
tracks. 'I Want You' is possibly the weakest track on the album but is still no
back number.

A little slower than the majority of the album it still features some
great riffy guitar with Blackmore sounding very like he did on the
"Fireball" sessions. 'I'm A Free Man' has an almost soul motown feel
to it in places in the vocal and Blackmore plays some great guitar again including
a nice 'picked' Shuggie Otis type solo to which singer Jordan can be heard
saying "thats mean Ritchie baby" before Blackmore launches into
another fast rock solo. Absolutely brilliant stuff. Even with all the fantastic
guitar on offer the personal highlight for me is 'Walk A Mile In My Shoes'.
This is for me the definative version and really highlights Earl Jordan's vocal
ability.

The guitar solos are a little more understated but still straight out of
the top drawer. Paice's shuffle drumming is also vital to the overall feel of
the song. The backing vocals are, for me anyway, the icing on the cake.
Whenever I need cheering up on it goes and it never fails to do the trick. The
final track 'Loving You Is Good For Me Baby' is a brooding blues from the pen
of Derek Lawrence which I could imagine being recorded by Free. According to
Lawrence he played the demo to Sullivan who complained "Oh no not another
blues, lets make it interesting". He then played it in 17:9 time without
anyone batting an eyelid.

A superb end to a truly wonderful album. I can't see why MCA would have
sat on it for over a year but can find no definative proof one way or the
other. One thing that is for certain though is that is didn't sell many copies.
According to MCA it sold less than 500 copies and they have never recouped the
$15,000 advance they gave Lawrence for the rights to it. Something which
puzzled Lawrence as he claims that everyone he has ever met claims to have a
copy !!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Mystic Siva LP(privately pressed) is one of the most sought-after artifacts in the whole psychedelic rock arena! But back in 1970 Mystic Siva were just a bunch of Detroit teenagers messing around in their parents garage with a Hammond B3 organ and a wah wah pedal. Little did they know that that original copies of this album would one day change hands for thousands of dollars!

Tripped out fluid guitar and rippling keyboards envelop mystical acid lyrics. This legendary US '60s psych monster that under the right influences will destroy your head! Finally from the master tapes! Be blown away by the mind bending power of "Supernatural Mind" in a previously unheard clarity and is rare as hell.

Beyond these influences, it exudes a genuine originality and freshness palpable, the sound despite a touch amateur nevertheless something modern and besides if you back to the style of ...Do not believe as long as it is basically the draft: no, the beautiful parts of an organs that plays both the rhythmic, atmospheric solo and magnificent solos wha wha guitars are rather well developed and this is especially the battery enough suffering, just as the song catches up but it is by his side very deliberate. It seems to me that this album was recorded in one day, without doubt giving it a charming side "live". Finally, the group name and the garish orange cover with collage Hindu deities gives the object an unusual dimension worship?

We're talking about Mystic Siva, a group of Detroit in 1970 published one of the darkest album and searched for American psychedelia eaters. Imagining hallucinate Mark Heckert(14 years) playing his organ HammondB3 the inevitable influence of the first album by The Doors, to Thienel Art (15) setting the standard of musical development with its low bass, Al Tozzi (15) guitar tapping that way and shaping great psychedelic solos and Dave Mascarin (15 years) playing drums, singing, writing songs and coming up with all the graphic design the LP.

I can not understand how some kids his age were able to conceive a work of such magnitude that begins with the powerful 'Keeper Of The Keys', a topic that we trace where the shots go, with a strong base of organ, bass and drums, and the powerful solo Tozzi that seems endless. And lasts and lasts ... and I love ... wish it would not end. While other guitar creating overlaps below some interesting musical textures. And Mascarin ... that voice does not seem that of a 15 year old guy.

And the psychedelic we dive 'And When You Go', a quiet theme dominated by organ, guitar and a quiet voice Mascarin nostalgic. Quiet and relaxing, remembering what we did the two before she left which evokes serious "Thank you" Led Zeppelin 2.

And as usual we return to the party with 'Eyes Have Seen Me', whose powerful and catchy riff already part of my life. This time with the help Mascarin sings the chorus in a sentence and the ever present based organ-guitar-bass-drums. But here Tozzi guitar uses a more acidic, more in line with lysergic sounds Californians funky and splashed with bright guitar solos.

While reciting Mascarin things about her band plays and plays ... and recorded the entire album in one day. Upon completion of the subject suddenly entered the world with... 'Come On Closer'. No doubt Jim Morrison and his family are present in this excellent composition blues dyes that takes us to Venice Beach three years ago, when Jim & Cia released their powerful debut album. It is in details like 'Come On Closer' when it is clear the influence of a great band.

By the way, sublime finish. 'Sunshine Is Too Long' is a curious and beautiful percussion rhythm from the guitar and organs. Tozzi shines again, but now with less volume than the other times, with a single house brand. I do not know but that rhythm guitar with Jimi Hendrix reminds ... And we come to one of the high points on the album!

'Spinning A Spell', a lysergic composition acquires more power as they passed the minutes with its superb parts, saturated his guitar, his outbursts and volutes psyches. . The Doors, The Doors again ... but this time with the inclusion of a guitar solo, entering devastating, as an ax splitting a piece of wood. A single heavy psychedelia, that is. Great theme to close the first side of the album. 'Supernatural Mind' and gloomy start, and then lead to a sonic as pleasant.

The ogan Hammond Heckert does not stop, not for ... And in the chorus Mascarin pacesetter for Tozzi between overwhelming, devastating, devastating. I'm on my knees now to idolize it sounds: psychedelic, psychedelia and more psychedelic. Undoubtedly one of the best cuts on the plate.

'Find Out Why' is another quiet and melancholy theme to lie on the couch and remember those wonderful years. A bit of softness is not bad, listening organ development and interventions that support melody.

'Magic Luv', a real bomb with his crazy garage.. Mascarin comes out, like their colleagues. I shudder when I hear the skin macabre chorus, to make way for a blueseros acids and guitar riffs. Hypnotic and amazing subject. 'Touch The Sky' begins with a nice rhythm that leads to another one of Tozzi, this time also less volume, so we can appreciate the work of other musicians more clearly.

Album ends with one of the most developed compositions instrumentally: 'In A Room' The intro of the song is wild and improvised and really prepares us for what will come after, a cry of Mascarin resulting in something like a duck (maybe heard something Syd Barrett before), and then recite and recite with a strong foundation rhythmic background. To emphasize the perpetual Heckert organ in conjunction with Tozzi guitar. But let's not forget Thienel and low, that throughout the two instruments clothes disco star. And now howls ... Syd Barrett is present ... who are you?! Dismal end to a sublime album.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Stray Dog started their journey in 1968 (under the name Aphrodite) Originally formed in Texas from there they moved to Denver, Colorado, they became very popular with the audience's in Denver, playing a southern blues-rock style and giggin' in the midwest led by veteran vocalist/guitarist William Garrett "Snuffy" Waldren, bassist/vocalist Alan Roberts and Randy Reeder on drums for five years.

While playing in a Denver club in 1973, Emerson, Lake and Palmer were also playing in town and so the story goes Greg Lake(or his manager) Neville Chesters walked in the club and saw the band playing and signed them to ELP's newly formed label, Manticore. The deal was signed and part of the contract was that the band fly over to the U.K. as soon as possible and start recording. Drummer Randy Reeder stayed behind and was replaced by Lee Sampson who played with the proto-metal power trio, Noel Redding's Road.

Stray Dog's self-titled album was cut in a few short weeks in 1973 with Greg Lake producing the album as it was basically ignored by fans and critics called it mindless heavy metal. The band went on tour with ELP in Europe and the U.S. Thick, well oiled blues rock with a metallic groovey glam rock sheen with the Texas swagger of boogie similar to that of Bedlam, Tucky Buzzard and hard sonic sound of Neil Merryweather's Space Rangers. Proto- awesomeness!

There are some very bright spots here - ''Tramp'' has a wicked bass part non-stop thorughout and the drummer clearly could have played in most prog-bands of the time - but it is primarilly power-trio rock (bass, guitar, drums) built off a blues root. This song will rock your socks off and definately feels longer than 5:32.

''You Know'' suffers from a muddy recording but is essentially a continuation of power trio rock - with the constant movement in the bass line reminding me of the kind of stuff Thin Lizzy was up to on Bad Reputation.

"The Journey" is closest to what you may call proggy as it is more then 10 minutes long and goes through a number of changes musically speaking. The song is filled with instrumental hightlights - this band could really rock. For the most part - a song by song listing will continue to say the same thing - recording muddy, power trio rock - excellent [pick one or more: /bass/guitar/drums] part.

"Drive My Car" - the one by the Beatles! no less. Stray Dog put a groove on this song that is very cool and I enjoy it a lot. Sound/mix is not particularly good. Tramp/Dog's blues (live) This band could rock out a live joint.

In some ways this band reminds of Albert Lee, in others of T-Rex and yet other times Little Feat. In most ways this album is power-rock by talented (and poorly recorded) musicians. Unless I am missing something from the first 2 albums, Stray Dog is associated with prog music only due to their releation ship with ELP and particularly Greg Lake.

1974 saw the addition of Walden's long time friend Tim Dulaine who was with the Texas rockers Buckwheat Honey who added lead vocals and guitars with writing six songs for the band's new album, ''While You're Down There '' and also added session keyboardist Luis Cabaza. The album was recorded in L.A. at the Record Plant with Austin Godsey producing. With the personel changes and Snuffy Walden taking a back seat to Dulaine the result was more of a "commercial" sounding hard rock and the catchy hooks.

The band members went thier own way with Walden joining Free due to the incapicitation of Paul Kossof and worked with Kossoff in Back Street Crawler, Eric Burden and released some solo material and is now in the movie and T.V. business. Dulaine went onto a solo career.
by Adamus67

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Echoes of the mid '60s folk rock boom, and whimsical lyrics with a twist of Dylan (his "Tom Thumb's Blues" is the only non-original song on the album) were perhaps at odds with the sounds of that era. Whatever the reasoning, the album quickly disappeared... shame. Here is an album about a more intimate, predominantly acoustic music. Flutes, chimes, and gentle organ sounds. It spins tales of faraway lands, sand, sea, castles, kings, queens and even Peter Pan.

Bet you thought only Donovan made 'em like that? Songs of Sunshine is incense & innocence, folk rock 'n' flowers! Well played, tastily arranged... and overlooked. But that was then, and things change.... we're now probably far enough away for the mid '60s to be the early '70s anyway, and if you can remember those times, well, you weren't there, as the saying goes...or something like that.

Rob Armstrong, the leader of the group, became a renowned luthier after the short-lived Music Box project, and you can hear the care and love of the acoustic guitar in the music.

The lyrics combine whimsy and fantastical stuff, basically pedestrian but the key is the feel of the tunes,(very pretty version of a traditional tune, "Leezie Lindsey.") the album also has tasteful bass playing and organ and glockenspiel and such things.

Only two of these 18 tracks ("No Matter What" and "Matted Spam") were recorded by Badfinger. But the rest of these solo studio demos are quite up to scratch with Badfinger's usual standards: it's not nearly as good as Paul McCartney's late Beatles tracks, for instance, but it's actually better than McCartney's typical early solo material.

Pete Ham is a thinking listener's rock romantic, offering emotional, wistful words and melodies without sounding sappy. Purists should be aware that, although Ham played most of the instruments here, some overdubs were added in the '90s by other musicians, for the purpose of giving the tracks a fuller, more balanced sound.

It's difficult to judge whether this decision was justified without hearing the original versions, though one wonders whether die-hard Badfinger fans (the primary audience for this release) would really care that much about any sonic imperfections in the originals. In any case, the end result sounds pretty tasteful, without any obvious concessions to dressing up the essential sounds in modern technology.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

This collection of previously unreleased home demos by Ham is almost as worthwhile and satisfying to the ear as its predecessor, 7 Park Avenue. Again, some musicians (including Bob Jackson, who was in Badfinger for a while shortly before Ham's death) enhanced these recordings with overdubs.

And as with 7 Park Avenue, while it's impossible to tell if these were truly necessary without comparison to the original unadorned versions, these overdubs do not seem intrusive (as they are on most productions of this sort). Although there are 20 tracks, it's not as bountiful a platter as one might hope (adding up to only 42 minutes), as some of the songs are quite short, and three are nothing more than fragments lasting less than a minute.

In the main, though, these are quality, sometimes enchantingly tuneful and tender performances, sometimes exhibiting a Beach Boys bent that's not so evident on Badfinger's official recordings. The cut to attract the most attention will be a demo of "Without You," although Ham's version is an incomplete skeleton of the track that Badfinger would record (and Nilsson would cover for a chart-topping hit), missing the chorus added by fellow Badfinger member Tom Evans.

Otherwise a highlight is "Makes Me Feel Good," two drastically different versions (one slow, one fast) which open and close the disc; it sounds like it could have made a first-rate Monkees track (which is a compliment, not a knock).

On the whole, the effect of this CD, as was the case with 7 Park Avenue, is to make one wish that Badfinger had recorded more of Ham's material and had made less room for the songwriting efforts of the lesser composers in the band.

A few months after the disbanding of the Nice, drummer Brian Davison put together a new group he wanted to call Every Which Way and recorded what turned out to be his only solo album. Released in 1970, it was received with indifference and remains to this day cruelly underrated.

While fellow ex-Nice Keith Emerson went on to form the widely successful prog rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Davison recruited unknown musicians to find a new sound miles away from the classical pomp of his former band. The result is a delightful rock album, very delicate and soft for the most part, tinged by blues and soul and reminiscent of Savoy Brown's albums of the early '70s, but also of Brian Auger's Oblivion Express.

Most importantly, Davison never takes a leading role, keeping his drumming intelligent and efficient, but firmly anchored in the background. Keyboardist/singer Graham Bell wrote most of the material. Guitarist John Hedley (who disappeared after this LP) does a great job in the more energetic "All in Time." Future Procol Harum bassist Alan Cartwright puts his distinctive touch to the music.

Saxophonist/flutist Geoffrey Peach (later in Lake) plays with much soul, evoking a cross between Elton Dean circa Soft Machine's Third and Mel Collins circa King Crimson's Islands. The music is deceptively simple, with exquisite arrangements and gripping vocals. The opener, "Bed Ain't What It Used to Be," pioneers a genre of restrained blues rock ballads that would become more common in the 1990s.

"The Light" is the other highlight and sounds like Van der Graaf Generator playing the blues. Simplicity has rarely sounded so compelling. Every Which Way is an unsuspected treasure hidden among the piles of minor prog rock-related albums of the 1970s.

by François Couture

Tracks
1. All In Time (Maria Niforos)
2. What You Like
3. The Light
4. Bed Ain't What It Used To Be
5. Castle Sand
6. Go Placidly
Music and words by Graham Bell unless as else stated

Saturday, December 22, 2012

The Facedancers were a progressive/jazz-rock band signed to Paramount Records in the 1970’s. They recorded one full length studio album with legendary producer Teo Macero (Miles Davis). Though the band and their album have built a cult following, The Facedancers remain a mysterious treasure in the hearts of progressive rock fans around the world.

The Philadelphia based band consisted of brothers Barry (bass, guitar) and Dale Armour (keyboard, flute, guitar, vocals), Warren Bloom (lead vocals, harmonica, percussion), Roger Kelly (guitar, vocals), and Michael Loy (drums). Originally a comedy-rock group called Lobotomy, they became the house band in the last year of the Second Fret Coffeehouse in Philadelphia. No longer strictly a comedy act, in 1971 they changed their name to The Facedancers just before making their self-titled album on Paramount Records in 1972.

The album was produced by jazz saxophonist and producer Teo Macero, at Blue Rock Studios in the Soho district of NYC in the summer of 1972, using 100 hours of studio time. Macero was concurrently producing Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" for Columbia records, so this was a moonlighting job for him. In those days if someone insisted that the group label their music, they answered with "jazz-rock", though they didn't consider it jazz.

The group's musical influences were eclectic. Kelly and Bloom were lovers of rock'n'roll, R&B and blues (Bloom admired Smoky Robinson in particular). The Armours' father was a pianist who had played in swing bands, and taught the boys classical, stride and swing. They liked Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck. The brothers had also studied classical guitar, and Dale was self-taught on flute and sitar.

Development was intentionally somewhat musically isolated. Not many record albums were played at the band house - some Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie, John Cage. There was still the overwhelming influence of the Beatles. There was no concern for "danceability", so they played with time signatures. When too hungry and obliged to take a dance gig, they covered the Rolling Stones for fun.

Friday, December 21, 2012

The Flock has always had a different sound that should be approached with an open mind. The game is beautiful, and even if we can understand the aversion of some to singing, he is in agreement with the rest of the natural rhythmic structure of the songs. Overall, this album is not as good as the first album, but it's a good album overall.

The album begins with an ambient " Green Slice " which explores essentially the sound of the organ and tenor saxophone, continued with "Big Bird" in a relatively upbeat tempo complemented by the work of brass and violin influenced by the Country Music .The trumpet solo alternating with the violin is really impressive.

"Hornschmeyer's Island" continues with heavy elements of jazz in particular through a part of improvisation in the middle of the song where the violin performs his solos. Sections of brass, flute and guitar accentuates the beauty of the song.

It is quite unusual to hear that the group begins as "Lighthouse"a solo electric followed by full orchestration, bass lines are very obviously coupled with brass and guitar solo in a mood quite exhilarating. Part interlude where all the solos are performed compactly combines guitar, bass and brass is beautifully executed.

"Crabfoot" is a rock solid and optimistic, supplemented by the excellent work of the violin. The guitar solo reminds Terry Kath of Chicago and it is superb. The intermediate portion is energetic with a brass section inventive. The magic is evident in this song that cleverly blends the type of melody Blues "You do not love me" with the Soul "I Feel Good" by James Brown style.

"Mermaid" is a song with textures and styles compared to other songs. The melody and rhythm are weird, they seem a little wobbly, but they produce a unique sound. It is as if a song Psychedelic meet one intelligent Chamber Ensemble, with a flamboyant falsetto and harmony.

The last piece, "Uranian Sircus" is similar in style to the previous song. The nice job flute and solo violin made in shades of Jazz. It shows what really makes the Flock a truck driving well above most groups Prog known at the time, with a creative flair. In short, this album worth listening deeper to discover the shades and other niceties!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

The Flock deserve more than a footnote, but not the full-fleged treatment that an entry in The Anal Annals of American Progressive Rock would surely give them.

Similar to cross-town rival Chicago, the Flock used horns and was signed to Columbia records. But while Chicago was more of a rock group with strong jazz influences, the Flock was even more out there.

Most of this is due to their not-so-secret weapon: violinist Jerry Goodman, who played in a downright classical style.

The word virtuoso is not one to use lightly, but it applies to Goodman. Right out of the gate, The Flock has an enchanting classical violin/jazz guitar piece ("Introduction") that can hardly be called rock. Goodman's playing is very fluid, and he even pulls out a few tricks such as plucking and wah-wah ("Truth").

It helps that the rest of the band are no slouches either. Guitarist/vocalist Fred Glickstein usually just acts as support while Goodman does his thing, but is a decent player in the distorted electric mold ("Store Bought-Store Thought"). The rhythm section of Jerry Smith (bass) and Ron Karpman (drums) acquits itself well on the jazzy beat (like Chicago's), while the horn section is closer to BS&T (Rick Canoff on tenor sax, Frank Posa on trumpet and Tom Webb on sax/flute/harmonica).

Together the music is one huge melting pot, varying between rock, classical, jazz, blues, and even soul, often within the same song. For example, "Clown" starts out as a BS&T like blues number but has a fantastic dreamy middle where the horns get to play jazzy lines, or "I Am the Tall Tree" which can only be described as folky classical that again has jazzy stretches. Lyrically, The Flock has a lot of semi-dated counter-culture stuff, but it is not embarrassing or anything.

On the other hand, the music is planned well - the rhythm section tends to keep them firmly anchored ("Store Bought-Store Thought") no matter where they go, the vocal harmonies are well constructed, and they do synchronized note runs periodically ("Truth"). The songs are not jams, but spotlights that rotate on the members of the band.

That they only lose their way once, in the middle of "Truth" where what starts out as a straight blues number evolves into something looser, is remarkable. They even do an excellent, soul-like rendition of "Tired of Waiting" (oddly credited to the group). But this is a downright fascinating album. You want American progressive music? Here it is. Produced by John McClure.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Dirty Tricks are four guys with similar backgrounds and tastes who've been struggling in semi-obscurity since 1965, working in almost all musical styles from soul to funk to punk rock to pop to heavy rock, to avant-garde, and even circus rock. Dirty Tricks are Johnny Fraser - on guitar, Kenny Stewart, vocals, Terry Horbory on bass and drummer John Lee.

The four have been together since May of this year and the three frcnt men have been rehearsing for five months prior to that. Kenny and Johnny admit that their inspiration came not so much from local music but from the records they heard on John Peel's Sunday afternoon show back in 1967. They both worked in various rock heavy soul groups in Stirling Scotland. In 1968 Kenny was in 'Cargo’ while Johnny was fronting the opposition band 'Susan Rams.' By 1970 they were both in 'Aegis’, one of those avante-garde bands that art students get excited about.

After a couple of years the band broke up and the two lads came down to London. While Johnny stayed at home digging Hendrix and Doobie Brothers records, Kenny joined a semi-pro group called 'Renia.' He stayed with them a year and a half, produced an album which quickly did nothing and looked round for more challenging work. Terry, who cones from Newark Nottinghamshire, formed his own band at 16, and did the rounds of local clubs, until his band were number one in the region. He cane to London in early 1974, and joined up 'The Goose Fayre Show’, a collection of miners, actors and other such wandering minstrels.

Kenny at this tine was auditioning for an up- and-coming blues rock band called San Apple Pie. He was accepted, and a week later, quite by chance Terry, who had left 'the circus', joined on bass. The band however was not too much to their liking, and they left to team up with Johnny, and Dave the drummer from 'Renia.' The unnamed band were hoping for a support gig on a German tour but nothing materialized. Undaunted they continued to rehearse, and left highly impressed.

A demo tape was cut and within a few weeks a record deal with Polydor was signed. Shortly afterwards Dave had to leave, and John Lee was brought in as a replacement, John who cones from Battersea had been playing the drums since he was 13, and was still playing when his family moved to Australia when he was 14. He joined one of Australia’s leading bands ‘Blackfeather' and 1972 joined 'Dingoes.' He stayed with then for several tours, two singles, and an album that was voted the best album of the year. A year later his contract expired but he chose not to renew it. He was immediately offered a job with two bands, a pop band, and the band Ariel, he accepted the latter's offer.

When Ariel came to Britain for what was an unsuccessful tour, John decided to leave the band and stay here. Within two days of being in London Paul Scott phoned hi*, and asked him to cone for an audition with 'Dirty Tricks.' "I couldn't believe my luck" says John, "I was out of work for exactly eight hours." The new look band went straight into the studios, and emerged with their album entitled "Dirty Tricks", and a single "Call Me Up For Love."